(A few days ago I was wondering at
what point I stopped thinking of myself as a Californian and began identifying with
other places I lived. I asked Maura if
she now felt like a resident of Seattle or if she still thought of herself as a
Buffalonian. This was her reply. I think
she made so many good points that I could not resist – with her permission –
posting it as a blog in its own right.)
I
have been in Seattle for nearly 14 years ( I arrived in June). I definitely
feel like it is home. It is funny you asked because I was recently
thinking about how I perceived the city when I first moved here. I
remember getting lost in locations that I now know like the back of my
hand. Also, I think it feels more like my permanent home because of Dan.
When I married him I knew I was also marrying Seattle in a way because I would
have a very hard time getting him to move anywhere else. I guess that is
kind of like when Pat married Rita or Eli married MB. We have recently
seen a huge influx into Seattle, mostly related to Amazon hiring. A
constant dialog here is about the sky rocketing rents, the awful traffic and
the insane amounts of construction. It is funny because I find myself
sympathizing with the complaints about how the city is not the same because of
the rapid growth and how if it continues Seattle will lose its character.
Then I remember that I am one of the émigrés.
Still,
I will always think of myself as from Buffalo. There is definitely a part
of my personality which was formed by my Buffalo upbringing and I don’t think
that will ever leave me. I love Seattle, I enjoy the people and like that
it is a very socially conscious and environmentally conscious area.
People tend to be educated, there are a lot of cultural opportunities as well
as a diversity of cultures/backgrounds that does not exist in Buffalo.
There are many professional opportunities. But Buffalo has a gritty
aspect that I think I benefited from. People are just more real and
honest there. The poverty is more in your face and nobody tries to white
wash it. There is a history there of families who have lived there for
many generations, ever since their relatives arrived at Ellis Island.
People my age talk about the old days of Seattle with Boeing and grunge and
cheap and easy access to things like skiing and camping. That is not a
Seattle I ever knew. When I hear my Buffalo friends talking (via FB
mostly) about Bethlehem Steal, and the Elmwood Strip, and sledding at Chestnut
Ridge that is my personal history and identification.
So,
I’m not sure if I will ever be able to say I am from just one place. Both
have impacted who I am and what I do. When I am in Seattle it will often
come up that I am from Buffalo. Many here are not “natives” so it is
a common conversation starter. But, when I go elsewhere I always identify
myself as being from Seattle. All in all, I will take it. I always
feel a bit sorry for people like Dan or Rita or my Long Island and Buffalo
friends who have lived in one area for their whole life. It seems so
limiting. I know my personality changes in each place I live. I am drawn
out by different aspects of each culture. If you never have a change of
environment then you never really have the opportunity to explore some
different facets of your personality.
Well,
that was more of a dissertation than you were probably asking for, but
I find it is an interesting topic. It would be
interesting to put together a collection of essays by different people with different
backgrounds and experiences on what “home” means to them. It is so
important, but so different, for each of us.
